Foxfire
by crystalvoicedcamelotlady
Summary: A Christmas fanfiction. One shot.


Flashback info: The flashback is to have taken place before Amazing Grace, but after Eye of the Storm, I think. I guess we don't know whether or not Margaret returned to Cutter Gap before or after Christmas, but in this story, she returns right after Christmas.

Foxfire

Early Christmas Eve Morning

Christy Huddleston MacNeill stirred in her sleep as the bed upon which she was sleeping seemed to shift and a gentle hand caressed her face. Even in her subconscious, Christy knew that it was her husband who had awakened. Neil MacNeill, the physician of Cutter Gap, was probably headed out on another midnight medical call.

Alas, Dr. MacNeill was not. He was headed out on a different mission, a somewhat more important one at that.

Neil knew that though his young wife seemed perfectly content with Cutter Gap life, there must certainly be some things she missed from her former home of Asheville.

Throughout his own childhood years in Cutter Gap, Neil's family had hardly ever splurged on luxuries of any kind. However, they were by no means poor, at least in comparison to other families in the Cove. Neil remembered getting a few lead pencils and a pad of paper one Christmas and an orange and a small handful of pennies another.

But, along with everyone else in the Cove, a Christmas tree had never sat in the MacNeills' cabin. Neil was sure a Christmas tree had always been a part of Christy's Christmas. So, he was determined to find one and surprise her with it.

It was precisely three a.m. when Neil stepped outside his cabin with a lantern to begin his search for a Christmas tree. If he remembered correctly, there was a small grove of pine trees to the far east of his cabin. It was but half of a mile; Neil would be able to retrieve a tree and get it back to the cabin in good time.

As Neil walked toward his destination, memories of Christmases past flooded his mind. He remembered his childhood Christmases; when his mother would take him up on her lap and read the Christmas story to him and sing songs. What wonderful memories those were.

Another Christmas memory entered his mind: the first Christmas that Christy had spent in Cutter Gap. Ah, what a Christmas that had been. True to her parents' wishes, Christy had tried to return to Asheville for Christmas. However, a raging snowstorm interrupted her plans. . . .

Flashback-morning of day before Christmas Eve

" . . . have to go! I promised them I would go back for Christmas, since they ended up staying here for Thanksgiving!" Christy cried desperately to Miss Alice, who was leaning on the piano looking out the window at the blizzard blowing about the mission. There would be no "play party" this Christmas Eve for Cutter Gap.

"Christy Huddleston, thou art not able to plow through that storm even to get to the barn, much less El Pano; no one is."

Christy knew Miss Alice was right, but a previous storm had hit the day Christy was originally to leave for Asheville, delaying her for the first time, and convincing her to sit quietly at the mission for a day. However, there was now another frustrating storm roaring about outside.

Neil, who had been sipping coffee and watching the whole thing quite amusingly, added his own reinforcement for the matter; one would always need it in dealing with the young and fiery teacher.

"Alice is right, Christy. I know you feel the need to be the dutiful daughter and return to your parents, but it would be foolish to go out in this."

"Yes, quite foolish, Christy," Miss Alice interjected, glancing hardly over to the doctor, who had been out on call when the storm first hit. Though Neil could have stayed at his patient's cabin until the storm passed, he had went ahead and set off for his own cabin. However, he had faced a very long night and had luckily stumbled upon the mission during the very early hours of the morning.

Christy sighed, "I guess you're right, I'm sorry."

Miss Alice smiled. "Well, let us be glad that we're all safe, together."

David suddenly burst through the front door carrying an armload of firewood. Ruby Mae also came running out of the kitchen, eager to start the stove for breakfast.

"Oh, goody, Preacher! Now ah kin start breakfast!" She quickly rushed forth and grabbed a log.

Miss Alice excused herself, "I'd best go help Ruby Mae so that the doctor can have some proper nourishment after his hard night out."

Christy gazed into the fire for several moments before being startled out of her reverie of home by Neil's deep voice,

"I am sorry you will not be able to go home for the Holiday."

Christy gave a small smile as she turned towards the doctor. "Well, it can't be helped. Maybe I can go back after Christmas. . . ." her voice trailed off into a sigh.

"Aye, you miss your family?" Neil inquired.

"Very much so."

"But do you miss Asheville?" Neil asked carefully.

"I suppose I do," Christy said, still not totally focused on their conversation.

"I see," Neil said quietly as he sipped his coffee.

Christy turned her eyes to the doctor at his slight change in tone. "And what is that supposed to mean? I am allowed to miss my home, aren't I?"

"Of course, and I understand why you would. You've only been here a few short months, and Christmas in Asheville must certainly be much finer than it is in Cutter Gap—of course you'd miss it."

Christy was taken aback by Neil's comments. "Dr. MacNeill, it does not matter where I celebrate Christmas. I care only whom I celebrate it with. I do not miss any of Asheville's frivolous Christmas entities."

"Well, then, what do you miss about Asheville?"

Christy opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She realized that she had walked into a trap by unmeaningly contradicting herself.

Not knowing what to do, Christy softly said, "I miss my family, Dr. MacNeill," and walked out of the room.

That afternoon, they all decorated the mission, since the blizzard raged on outside. Holly had been abundantly stored weeks before, it filled every corner of the mission. As evening rolled around, the wind had died down, even though it was still snowing hard. Christy was sitting by the window playing with the scattered holly leaves when a gentle tap turned her around. It was Miss Alice.

"Christy, art thou feeling well?"

Christy put down the leaves. "Of course, Miss Alice. I'm just tired, is all."

Alice gave a small smile. "I hope my words this morning about your return to Asheville didn't discourage you too much. Perhaps you will be able to return for New Year's."

"Oh, it's not that. Just something someone else said to me earlier," Christy said as she turned to look back out the window.

Miss Alice sighed. With Neil and Christy in the same house, the fur was sure to fly. "It was something Neil said, was it not?"

Christy whirled back around to face her mentor. She wanted to talk with Miss Alice and vent the frustration she was feeling, but would the Quaker be angered over the fact that it was her son-in-law whom was causing this aggravation? "Yes . . . he accused me for missing my home."

Miss Alice raised her eyebrows. She knew Neil MacNeill could certainly raise questions in one's mind, but he wouldn't spitefully accuse someone of missing their own home, would he?

"For missing thy home?"

Christy sighed. "He essentially said that since I'd only spent a few months in Cutter Gap, I would most certainly miss the 'frilleries' of an Asheville Christmas—that being here was not good enough for me."

Miss Alice sighed. Neil was accusing Christy of being coddled and shallow. Miss Alice knew how Neil, like all the highlanders, felt about the outsiders and their world. But the doctor should have known better. Christy was none of that sort.

"Christy, I don't know what came over the doctor to make him say that, but it is perfectly all right for thee to miss thine home. Life is indeed hard here, and I frequently find myself wishing for some of the conveniences and indulgences of city life. But that does not make me, nor does it make thou, a shallow person."

Christy smiled and whispered her thanks before heading up to her room. As Christy entered the bedroom, she tried to clear her head of Neil's accusations. Perhaps he was just having a bad day.

Sitting down at her bed, Christy realized that if she was going to be spending Christmas at the mission house, she might as well wrap her presents.

Christy reached under her bed to pull out the box of presents she had been keeping. Long ago, Christy had sent a list of presents to her parents so they could purchase them in Asheville for her.

Lifting the box onto the bed, Christy found that a roll of red paper accompanied the presents. She had forgotten about that. Might as well use it, she thought.

Christy brushed off the paper and pulled out the first item to wrap. She smiled; George must have helped pick this one out. The next present was Ida's—Christy would have to wait until she got back from Boston to give it to her. Then came Ruby Mae's and Miss Alice's. . . .

Christy finished wrapping the presents and was just about to put the box back under the bed when a small object in the corner caught her eye. It was crudely wrapped in brown paper and carried an attached note. She picked the object up; it was slightly larger than the palm of her hand, and was fairly heavy. Christy opened the note and read:

Dearest Christy,

Please give this to Dr. MacNeill, as I know it is of great importance to him. He has been waiting a long time for it.

Your father

Carefully and curiously, Christy pulled away the brown paper, which revealed a shining silver medal, outlined in gold. "What in the world?" she whispered, running her fingers over the chiselings.

Upon examining the medallion more closely, Christy saw there was a large building with a seal stamped in the center. Above the building was a phrase in foreign lettering. On the gold plating running along the outer edge of the medal, hundreds of small characters in three lines formed a circle.

Turning it over, Christy saw that three more lines of characters formed a circle along the outer edge of the medallion back. In the middle, there was an uppercase M raised in copper. An arch graced the top and from the middle of it came a straight line, which went completely through the middle of the M. The line continued and met in middle of the last element—a wide  that connected the arch ends, which were straight lines that extended from the top arch to fall even with the bottom of the M.

The MacNeill family crest, Christy thought. A knock on the door startled Christy into almost dropping the medallion.

"Christy?" a voice asked, "It's Neil, may I come in?" After his earlier conversation with Christy, the doctor realized how hard and insensitive he had been on the teacher. Neil hoped he could make it up to her.

Christy hid the medallion in her pocket and put the box on the floor, quickly shoving it under the bed with her foot. "Come in."

"Supper is ready," Neil said as he opened the door.

Christy smiled back, "All right, thank you." Neither of them moved.

"May I escort you downstairs, Miss Huddleston?"

Christy hesitated. The medallion was big enough and heavy enough to be noticed in her pocket. But, perhaps in his own way, Neil was trying to make up for their conversation earlier that day by offering to escort her. If Christy refused, he might be hurt, or become suspicious.

"Of course." Christy stood up from the bed, sticking her hands in her pockets trying to subtly hold the medallion. At the moment, Neil did not need to know it was in her possession. Despite Christy's best efforts, Neil still noticed her awkwardness.

"Is something wrong, Christy?"

"No, of course not," she smiled. Christy would have to get the medallion out of her pocket—it was in her left. Walking over to her dresser that was partly hid from Neil's vision by the door, she opened a top drawer with her right hand and pretended to look for something. Closing it halfway, Christy slipped her right arm in Neil's and quickly pulled the medallion from her left pocket and slipped it into the drawer as they took a step out. Replacing her left arm into Neil's, they started down the hall.

Sly lass, Neil thought. "Do you mind telling me what that was about?" he asked.

"Noooo. . . ." Christy said slowly. How in the world would she keep this from Neil? He would be at her until she told him!

"I see. Is it a gift for someone?"

They were now nearing the bottom of the stairs. "Dr. MacNeill, that is for me to know and you to find out."

Neil threw back his head and laughed. "You know I will find out, Miss Huddleston."

David lifted his eyebrows as Neil's laughter drifted through the hallway. As the doctor and teacher entered the dining room, they took their seats and David offered the blessing.

"Dear Lord, we thank you for this wonderful opportunity for us all to be together. . . ."

Christy opened her eyes a tiny bit to look at Neil. He was looking at the casserole on the table with his eyes open, but there was a soft expression on his face, as if he were remembering something.

" . . . you for this food. Amen."

"Amen," Christy said as she lifted her head. Glancing outside, she saw that it had begun to blow again. How long would they be trapped here? Sighing, she turned her thoughts to Neil's words hours before.

Christy did realize that she missed some of the nicer things of Asheville, but she also knew that Cutter Gap was the place she wanted to be. Despite Miss Alice's reassurances, Christy still wondered if she was selfish and shallow.

This train of thought was too deep for her mind, she decided. Christy turned back to her food as she realized everyone was staring at her.

"What?" she asked.

David suppressed a laugh as he replied with a question of his own, "Deep in thought Miss Huddleston?"

"Yes, David, I was," Christy said a bit testily.

"I see. Perhaps you would like to take your food out of your water now?"

Christy quickly glanced down to see her fork and the remnants of Ruby Mae's casserole in her glass of water.

No one could suppress a laugh now. As they quieted down, Ruby Mae offered to refill Christy's glass.

"No, thank you, Ruby Mae. I think I'll go sit by the fire, I'm a bit chilly."

"But ain't ya hungry?"

Christy shook her head. "No, but you did a good job with the casserole."

"Thank ya, Teacher."

Christy smiled and glanced at David as she walked out of the kitchen. David picked up the signal and excused himself from the table.

As Christy sat down next to the fire, David walked in and sat beside her. "I'm sorry you're not able to be with your family."

Christy nodded and sighed. "I really miss being with them. Right now, Mother, Daddy, and George would probably be putting the special glass ornaments that we always save for last up on the tree." She paused. "It's childish to miss them like that, I know. . . ."

David placed his hand on her shoulder. "Christy, it is not childish at all. The first year I was in seminary, there was a huge snow storm and a terrible train wreck." He paused, shaking his head. "Entire families were killed in that wreck. . . . The only working line was the freight line. I didn't get to Boston for a month." David looked at Christy. "Your feelings are not childish. I was miserable."

Christy smiled at his genuine care and concern. "Thank you, David. It means a lot to me." She took his hand and squeezed it. Before Christy could pull away, David lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it.

As he walked away, Christy retreated to the kitchen to help with dishes, smiling.

------

Mid-afternoon the next day, Neil decided to head back to his cabin. The weather had cleared up considerably.

As Neil was gathering his things from beside the fire, Christy approached him.

"Neil?"

He looked up and smiled. "What can I do for you, Christy?"

"I was wondering if you would join us for Christmas dinner tomorrow night?" she asked.

Neil paused in mid-action. It had been awhile since he had eaten a Christmas dinner with anyone. But, he smiled, a change might be nice.

"I'd like to talk to you, too." Christy said.

Neil's smile faded as he remembered their conversation. He still rebuked himself for going after her like that. What had gotten into him? Neil knew what had gotten into him, but this was not the time to think about it.

"Christy, about our conversation, I'm—"

Christy interrupted and held up her hand. "We'll talk tomorrow?"

Neil nodded, "Yes, tomorrow."

Christy smiled, relieved. "Wonderful, good-bye, then."

"Good-bye, Christy."

For the remainder of the day, Christy searched for and prepared a box to put Neil's medallion in. Everything had to be just right for this gift.

------

Christmas morning dawned pristine and clear—beautiful Christmas weather. After breakfast, everyone exchanged presents.

Christy received two beautiful new "teacher's books" from David and Miss Alice—a grade book and a daily planner—and a roughly embroidered sampler that Ruby Mae had taken the greatest of care with.

David was stunned and delighted with his Louisville Slugger bat clear from Kentucky, and Miss Alice loved her glass window hangings and lace doilies for her cabin. But Ruby Mae was the most excited over her gifts. She couldn't believe her luck in receiving talcum powder, perfume, and pretty toiletry items. It was a wonderful exchange of gifts.

Throughout the rest of the afternoon, Christy, Alice, and Ruby Mae slaved away at the Christmas dinner. There was a small, sweetened ham, and many pieces of salt pork. Christy made numerous biscuits and Miss Alice made pies from the preserved summer berries. They also pulled out Jeb Spencer's special sourwood honey.

As evening approached, Christy retreated to her room to change her dress. She brushed out her twist and braid that she'd worn earlier. For several minutes, Christy twisted and piled her hair trying to find a desirable look. Finally, she pulled her top hair back and let the rest of it hang loose. As she brushed through the long strands, she wondered if David would like it, and, for a few fleeting moments, what Neil MacNeill would think.

Christy stopped in mid-brush at the thought of what Neil would think. What would he think . . . about a lot of things? From their previous conversations, Christy knew exactly what Neil thought on some subjects.

Her thoughts flashed through the past months that she'd known the doctor. Their . . . acquaintance had been quite interesting. Christy had, for the most part, enjoyed their conversations together and even found their arguments somewhat exhilarating. Strange . . . she thought as she shook her head.

At around six o'clock, Neil arrived on his horse. Christy met him at the door, and was stunned by his appearance. Neil's hair was not quite as unruly as usual and he had shaved and put on a new shirt. Christy thought he looked very nice.

"Neil . . . hello . . . I. . . ."

Neil grinned. "Hello to you, too, Miss Huddleston. Yes, 'tis a rare occasion for me to be cleaned up like this. And, might I add, you look very lovely tonight also."

"As do you, Doctor MacNeill. Thank you."

"I look lovely?" Neil asked teasingly.

Christy smiled up at him. "Of course!"

That evening, everyone enjoyed each other's company and the food prepared. Merriment was in the air, and everyone knew there would be dancing later on.

After supper, Christy prepared to "present" Neil with his medallion. Hastily, she ran up to her room to grab the box, and retreated back down equally as quickly.

Approaching the parlor, Christy wondered how Neil would take receiving his medallion—she was nervous about giving him such an ornate and seemingly special gift.

Christy set the box in the parlor and went in search of Neil. As she was walking towards the kitchen, Christy realized that it would probably be best if her and Neil discussed their previous conversation before she gave him the medallion.

Christy found Neil sipping coffee at the kitchen table with Miss Alice.

She approached him almost timidly. "Dr. MacNeill, can I speak with you . . . privately?"

Neil put his coffee down and stood up. "Of course, Christy. Please excuse me, Alice."

Miss Alice nodded and smiled.

Christy nervously played with her dress as they entered the parlor. As Neil sat down in a chair near the fire, Christy moved to sit next to him, only to trip over her chair and lean precariously into the fire. Neil quickly pulled her back into the chair and questioned,

"Christy, are you all right? Are you feeling ill?"

Christy nodded and tried to hide her embarrassment, distractedly not absorbing the full question. Her face was as red as the embers in the fire.

"Yes, of course."

"So you're saying you're ill? Do I need to examine you?" Neil teased.

"Yes. I mean, no! I'm fine, Doctor," Christy said, still embarrassed and fumbling over her words. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

They both sat in silence for a few moments. Neil was the first to speak.

"Christy, about our conversation the other day . . . I was wrong to criticize you like that. I had other things on my mind, and I wasn't thinking. I apologize."

Christy turned in her chair to face the doctor squarely. "I accept. You were right about my missing Asheville, though. I do miss the luxuries of it; the food, the stores, the things. But when I look to Cutter Gap and see the children's hopeful faces, I know that I want to be here, and I forget all about Asheville. My heart is just completely filled with . . . with . . . well, I can't describe it."

Neil smiled. "I do know what you mean Christy, about the feeling here and the things you miss from the city. While I do not so much miss the luxuries, I miss the medical paraphernalia; the laboratories, the equipment, the advantages.

"Then we both have city longings," Christy said softly.

"That we do, Miss Huddleston."

Christy was about to get up to the retrieve the medallion when another question entered her mind. But did she dare ask it?

"Neil? What was on your mind during our argument?"

Dr. MacNeill started at the question. He hadn't expected Christy to ask. Neil stared into the fire, his mind riveted on the question at hand.

For many moments, Neil did not speak. Christy started to feel embarrassed; should she not have asked? But what could he have been thinking of?

Finally, Neil spoke. "I was thinking of Margaret," he said quietly.

Christy did not move. Margaret, his wife, his dead wife.

Neil continued, "It was the Christmas just before she passed on, and the first one we had celebrated in Cutter Gap—most of our Christmases before had been spent in the city. Our . . . our marriage had fallen apart by then, but I'd bought her many indulgent gifts to try and make her happy." Neil paused a moment to gather his words, then continued, "However, Margaret paid no mind. All she could think of was the things in the city, and we had a big fight. She ran off and caught pneumonia." Neil stopped. He couldn't say any more. He had completely opened his heart to the woman beside him, and the painful memories washed over it like saltwater does on a raw wound.

"But . . . why were you thinking of her that day, during our argument?" Christy asked ever so softly.

"You are so like her, Christy. . . . I see her in you, and as I reminisced, that horrible Christmas came back to me. I did not mean to take my thoughts out on you."

"Are you saying I have the same heart as Margaret?" Christy asked, a bit miffed.

"No, not at all! Christy, Margaret was rotten and selfish. But she had a fiery spirit, and I see that in you also. I believe she had a good heart, but perhaps I turned it sour. . . ."

Inwardly, Christy ached for what this man had went through. And he had entirely opened himself up to her; Christy had never seen him so vulnerable. She grabbed his hand and held it in her own.

"Neil, you did not do anything to make her that way. Perhaps she just selfishly did not want to pull her own weight. Margaret was extremely lucky to have a husband like you." Christy could not meet Neil's eyes as he raised his head at her last sentence. He squeezed her hand and she looked up, her eyes full of pain and hope for the man sitting beside her.

"Thank you, Christy."

For moments, Christy found herself riveted on Neil's eyes. She finally pulled away and stood up to retrieve the box.

"And now, Dr. MacNeill, I have something for you," Christy said in a lighter tone.

"And I wonder what it could be?" Neil asked.

"Well, remember when I was, ah . . . acting strangely the other night in my room?"

Neil laughed. "How could I forget? And I will find out about that, Miss Huddleston."

"You certainly will, Doctor, because this has to do with that," she smiled. Christy sat back down in the chair and took the box from behind her back. She handed it to the doctor, who stared at it for a few moments before taking the top off. Christy waited nervously as Neil removed the red paper from the top and sifted through the brightly colored paper confetti. Finally, the shining medallion was fully revealed and Neil was staring perplexedly at it.

"Christy, where did you find this? This is remarkable!" He quickly turned it over and over in his hands.

"My father sent it to me along with some Christmas presents awhile back. I didn't know I had it until the other day. What is it for?" she asked.

Neil scraped his chair closer to the fire to hold the medallion in its light. Christy followed suit.

"At the school in Edinburgh, Scotland, when you graduated and got your medical degree, you received a medallion from the school, much like this one. However, because I was able to directly trace myself to the Clan MacNeill in Scotland, I received this one, with my family's crest."

"What does everything on it mean?" Christy questioned.

"Well," the doctor said, pointing to the building, "this is the original building of the school, built hundreds of years ago. The stamp in the center is the seal of the king. The phrase above it is the motto of the clan to which the original founder of the school was from. I forget what it means. On the back—"

"Is your family crest," Christy finished.

Neil smiled. "Yes, and along the outer edges on both the front and back is the Hippocratic oath. When I graduated, I received it in a plaque, but soon after, it was stolen. I just can't believe your father found it."

"But is it yours? Couldn't there have been another MacNeill?"

Neil shook his head. "I was the only one. And even if there was another one, each medallion is numbered. Mine is number 1793." Neil turned the medallion over and looked closely near the building. Sure enough, the number 1793 was there.

Just then, Christy and Neil noticed that Alice and David were humming a tune in the kitchen. Neil set the medallion down and stood up. "May I have this dance?"

Christy smiled, "Of course."

As they began to dance, Neil pulled her to him and whispered, "Thank you for the best Christmas ever, Christy."

end of flashback

Neil smiled as he remembered that Christmas. It was then that he knew he was truly falling in love with Christy.

Neil was now about three-fourths the way to the tree grove. Suddenly, something ahead caught his eye. He rushed forth to examine it more closely. Neil couldn't believe what it was.

"Well, I'll be," he whispered. As Neil sat there staring at the stuff, he had an ingenious idea. Immediately, he started to arrange the bits and pieces into bars, curves, and letters. When his masterpiece was finished, Neil quickly continued on to his tree grove. He wondered if he could get the tree back to the cabin fast enough and bring Christy out here before the sun rose. It was probably around three forty-five by now . . . perfect.

Arriving at the tree grove, Neil searched through the clusters for the perfect one. Finally, he came upon a relatively small and bushy one. It was just right. Neil hoped it wouldn't be too hard for him to get back home.

An hour and a half later, Neil returned to the cabin with the tree. It had been a challenge to bring it all the way back from the grove, but not extremely difficult. He hid the tree behind the house and tiptoed inside. After cleaning up a bit, he stepped up to the bedroom to wake his wife. The moon cast an angelic light upon her face, and Neil did not want to wake her, but this was something she would enjoy.

"Christy, dear, wake up." Neil gently shook her.

Christy's moonlit eyes opened slightly. "Neil, what?" she asked groggily.

"I want to show you something, lass."

Christy thought a moment. She was tired, but it must be important. Besides, she would have been getting up soon, anyways. "All right, just let me get dressed."

"I'll go saddle up Charlie."

Minutes later, Christy and Neil were headed back in the direction from which Neil had just come. On Charlie, they made good time.

Soon, there were nearing Neil's designated spot. "Alright, Christy, we're here. But, you'll have to close your eyes," he said as he dismounted and helped her from the horse. Taking her hand, Neil led Christy through the trees. A few minutes later, they stopped. "Open your eyes, Christy," Neil said softly as he leaned close to her.

Slowly, Christy opened her eyes. The sight that met her eyes took her breath away. In a small clearing among the forest trees, Neil had arranged some glowing "stuff" in the design of the MacNeill family crest.

"Oh Neil," she whispered. "What in the world. . . ?"

"It's called foxfire," Neil said. "It's common in these woods, you just have to know where to find it."

"What is made of, and why does it glow?"

Neil smiled and took Christy's hand. "When the wood rots, lass, certain fungi can start to grow on it. When the wood is fully decayed, the fungi will glow during the night."

"It's beautiful. Thank you, Neil," Christy sighed.

For a few minutes, they stood gazing at the glowing emblem of their family.

"Why the family crest?" Christy asked softly.

"In remembrance of your first Christmas here. The medallion you gave me from medical school meant more to me than anything."

"But my father's the one who found it for you."

"Ah, but the fact that you gave it to me made it special, Christy. The time we spent trapped that year at the mission made me realize how important you were to me. You always knew just what to say. I loved you then, lass."

"And I was a fool not to realize it," Christy sighed.

"Nay," Neil whispered, "I should have told you how I really felt."

"Well," Christy said as she smiled up at him, "it doesn't matter now."

Neil smiled and said huskily, "Merry Christmas, lass," as he lowered his head to hers.

"Kisses under the Foxfire moon," Christy whispered before her words were embalmed with a passionate kiss.

THE END


End file.
